Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Exploring Theravāda's connections to other paths - what can we learn from other traditions, religions and philosophies?
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DNS
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by DNS »

Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:37 am
DNS wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 7:02 pm ... my choices are:

1. ... Buddhism
2. ... Theravada
3. ... Buddhism
4. ... Buddhism
5. ... Buddhism
...
I see you're a hardcore Buddhist :twothumbsup: ! ... imo.
:D Yes. Once you know Buddhism, why would you want to be involved with any of the others? :tongue:

I suppose some like to mix other religions into a SBNR fruit salad (Spiritual but not religious), but I see many of them as contradictory, so best to stick with Buddhism and okay to mix traditions, as long as they are Buddhist.

I suppose if there was no Buddhist Dispensation and there was no knowledge of Buddhism or the Dhamma (if we were in a dark age), then I'd be a Jain, but only because Jainism is so similar to Buddhism, especially Early Buddhism & Theravada.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by Spiny Norman »

DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 3:35 pm
I suppose some like to mix other religions into a SBNR fruit salad (Spiritual but not religious), but I see many of them as contradictory, so best to stick with Buddhism and okay to mix traditions, as long as they are Buddhist.
Yes, in my experience trying to mix traditions (even Buddhist ones) invariably ends up in a muddle.
It is better to recognise and respect the differences.
Buddha save me from new-agers!
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SteRo »

My "top five religions"?

That sounds funny because I guess that every individual can only know the religion of its own native culture and trying to understand culturally alien religions is doomed.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

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SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:36 pm My "top five religions"?

That sounds funny because I guess that every individual can only know the religion of its own native culture and trying to understand culturally alien religions is doomed.
That is perhaps true . . . in 1522 but this is 2022. Some converts (notice I don't say all) know more about their adopted religion than the natives who were born into that culture and religion; due to the enthusiasm of finding a religion that resonates with them.

And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SteRo »

DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:42 pm
SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:36 pm My "top five religions"?

That sounds funny because I guess that every individual can only know the religion of its own native culture and trying to understand culturally alien religions is doomed.
That is perhaps true . . . in 1522 but this is 2022. Some converts (notice I don't say all) know more about their adopted religion than the natives who were born into that culture and religion; due to the enthusiasm of finding a religion that resonates with them.

And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
You seem to be an optimist in terms of cognition.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SarathW »

DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:42 pm
SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:36 pm My "top five religions"?

That sounds funny because I guess that every individual can only know the religion of its own native culture and trying to understand culturally alien religions is doomed.
That is perhaps true . . . in 1522 but this is 2022. Some converts (notice I don't say all) know more about their adopted religion than the natives who were born into that culture and religion; due to the enthusiasm of finding a religion that resonates with them.

And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
I tend to agree with you.
I would say I learned the basics of Buddhism from Westerners even though I am a native Buddhist.
For instance, I learned that there is something called Tipitaka from Mike.

:D
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by Sam Vara »

SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:11 pm
DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:42 pm
SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:36 pm My "top five religions"?

That sounds funny because I guess that every individual can only know the religion of its own native culture and trying to understand culturally alien religions is doomed.
That is perhaps true . . . in 1522 but this is 2022. Some converts (notice I don't say all) know more about their adopted religion than the natives who were born into that culture and religion; due to the enthusiasm of finding a religion that resonates with them.

And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
You seem to be an optimist in terms of cognition.
Maybe that's one of the things required to practice. Who would want to be without it?
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by asahi »

DNS wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 7:02 pm 5. Pudgalavada Buddhism (as Ananda taught, you need some sense of self and conceit to progress and then on the other shore, it can be discarded)
Did someone else or ananda taught this ?

:roll:
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by Spiny Norman »

DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:42 pm
And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
Yes, including lots of talks on you-tube by different religious teachers.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SteRo »

Sam Vara wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:17 pm
SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:11 pm
DNS wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 5:42 pm

That is perhaps true . . . in 1522 but this is 2022. Some converts (notice I don't say all) know more about their adopted religion than the natives who were born into that culture and religion; due to the enthusiasm of finding a religion that resonates with them.

And this is the information age, wikipedia, etc, it's very easy to learn the basics and even advanced concepts of a religion.
You seem to be an optimist in terms of cognition.
Maybe that's one of the things required to practice. Who would want to be without it?
One may always practice what one has understood and to attain a goal understood. One may do this even with great faith and conviction. My issue however is exactly this understanding in the context of culturally alien religions.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by Sam Vara »

SteRo wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:23 am
Sam Vara wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:17 pm
SteRo wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 6:11 pm

You seem to be an optimist in terms of cognition.
Maybe that's one of the things required to practice. Who would want to be without it?
One may always practice what one has understood and to attain a goal understood. One may do this even with great faith and conviction. My issue however is exactly this understanding in the context of culturally alien religions.
Well, one can either be pessimistic or optimistic about the possibility of understanding "alien religions". My guess is that optimism leads to one making an effort, and the effort leads to understanding, which then increases the optimism.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SteRo »

Sam Vara wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 11:08 am
SteRo wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:23 am
Sam Vara wrote: Wed Oct 05, 2022 9:17 pm

Maybe that's one of the things required to practice. Who would want to be without it?
One may always practice what one has understood and to attain a goal understood. One may do this even with great faith and conviction. My issue however is exactly this understanding in the context of culturally alien religions.
Well, one can either be pessimistic or optimistic about the possibility of understanding "alien religions". My guess is that optimism leads to one making an effort, and the effort leads to understanding, which then increases the optimism.
So you seem to think that it is better to practice an error optimistically than not practice at all.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by Sam Vara »

SteRo wrote: Fri Oct 07, 2022 4:56 am
Sam Vara wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 11:08 am
SteRo wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 9:23 am

One may always practice what one has understood and to attain a goal understood. One may do this even with great faith and conviction. My issue however is exactly this understanding in the context of culturally alien religions.
Well, one can either be pessimistic or optimistic about the possibility of understanding "alien religions". My guess is that optimism leads to one making an effort, and the effort leads to understanding, which then increases the optimism.
So you seem to think that it is better to practice an error optimistically than not practice at all.
Who said anything about errors? The effort leads to understanding, not misunderstanding. Just like learning to ride a bike or play a musical instrument, the world gives you feedback after you have the initial optimism that you can do it.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by SteRo »

Sam Vara wrote: Fri Oct 07, 2022 6:17 am
SteRo wrote: Fri Oct 07, 2022 4:56 am
Sam Vara wrote: Thu Oct 06, 2022 11:08 am

Well, one can either be pessimistic or optimistic about the possibility of understanding "alien religions". My guess is that optimism leads to one making an effort, and the effort leads to understanding, which then increases the optimism.
So you seem to think that it is better to practice an error optimistically than not practice at all.
Who said anything about errors? The effort leads to understanding, not misunderstanding. Just like learning to ride a bike or play a musical instrument, the world gives you feedback after you have the initial optimism that you can do it.
My point was that culturally alien religions may be outside the scope of one's understanding. That there will arise some understanding is naturally conditioned when encountering words and texts but it may be erroneous understanding. Therefore it seems that you think that it is better to practice an error optimistically than not practice at all. Or you seem to think that starting with erroneous understanding may magically transform erroneous understanding into appropriate unterstanding which would contradict everday experience.
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Re: Your top five religions (with a short reason)?

Post by User13866 »

I've been exposed to four religions. Namely, Christianity, Islam, Scientology and Sadhguruism.

I am pursuing a vendetta against Sadhguruism because i've seen first hand how he ruins people. As soon as there is an opening i will try destroying that scourge.

Next on the list of bullshit is Scientology. Those people declared me SP (basically an enemy) when i was about 8-9 y.o and pretty much tried to ruin my life from that point. I am glad this bullshit is pretty much dying out.

I somewhat like Christianity because they never wronged me. Furthermore i've a fond memory of seeing a priest when i was about 5-6 y.o and it inspired me to pursue monasticism.

I guess Islam is my favorite religion. It's strong on my father's side where my dad's uncle is an imam. As the only male in my generation i've been most well treated by my muslim relatives but there was a munafiq who almost broke me when i was about 4-5 y.o. Furthermore I've sunni friends who respect Buddhism as a righteous path.
Last edited by User13866 on Fri Oct 07, 2022 9:58 am, edited 7 times in total.
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